


I'm Ready To Follow You

by goodgollyzollie



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, gun mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2020-04-09
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23562670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodgollyzollie/pseuds/goodgollyzollie
Summary: When Tanaka wakes up the morning after the Tragedy with nothing but the words "follow me" to cling to, he knows exactly where to go.*NOTE* if you are reading this on any other platform besides the official AO3 website, know that I did not consent to it being there. Please report wherever you are reading this from and read it on the AO3 website, thank you.
Relationships: Nishinoya Yuu/Tanaka Ryuunosuke
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25





	I'm Ready To Follow You

As Tanaka cut the rattling engine, he slumped back in his seat. He let his eyes fall shut for an instant as he listened to his breathing fill the air. The chilly late November air slid in through the cracked window mixing with the smoky air in the car. The weak stains of moonlight were bleeding through the pines, hitting his face with a soft, cold indifference. The dashboard lights glowed faintly, the gas tank needle hovering over the E with a sense of finality as if to say "no going back now."

Finally, Tanaka straightened up, pulled the key out of the ignition, and pushed the door open. The full force of the air hit him, causing him to pull in further to his coat. 

Tanaka reached for the box of cigarettes on the dashboard, pocketing them along with his lighter, and slammed the car door shut. He opened up the trunk, pulling out a grimy rucksack and flashlight. With a sigh, he locked the trunk and turned to face the woods ahead of him. 

_ Come on, Tanaka. Not afraid of a few trees, right?  _

_ Hmph, of course not. What, are you? _

_ Me? Ha! Never afraid! _

He shouldered the pack and took a step into the frozen pines. 

Instantly, the branches seemed to swallow him, almost as if they had been waiting for him to come. He resisted the urge to turn on the flashlight, knowing that even though the woods were dark, his eyes would adjust soon enough. He might need the batteries later, anyway. Careful to watch his step, he made his way through the woods, recalling the first time he'd made the trek.

_ My grandfather built this, but I think most of the family has forgotten about it. The only people who come here are me and my brother and grandpa, anyway. _

_ That's kinda sad, isn't it? _

_ Not really. Grandpa wasn't about showing off. And the rest of the family is too loud for the woods. They like the city noise too much.  _

_ And you don't? _

_ Hey, I like a bit of ruckus as much as the next Nishanoya. But this place is cool enough to be peaceful for awhile.  _

_ Why are you showing me then? I like noise too.  _

_ Shut up and appreciate the walk, dumbass. _

_ Hey! _

Something cracked off to his side, and Tanaka froze, hand over the pistol holster on his hip. Peering into the darkness, at first seeing nothing and feeling his heart jump to his throat, he slowly flicked open the latch. 

He locked eyes with a deer, whose tail flicked before loping off deeper into the trees. Tanaka relaxed, chuckling at his paranoia. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen a human outside of a compound.Though, he supposed, anyone off of a compound was just as likely to kill him as they were to leave him be. Not everyone was alone voluntarily. Not all of them were hunting for ghosts.

Belatedly, Tanaka realized he should have tried to shoot that deer for food.

_ Here's the stream we always use as a halfway point. You can follow it up as far as the big rock before having to go further into the woods. _

_ Why are you telling me all of this? _

_ Oh, uh, I dunno. I guess if you ever wanna come here without me? _

_ I feel like I'd go crazy without someone else to talk to in all these fuckin' trees. _

_ That's fair, for sure. But you could talk to the trees! _

_ That would be the point I would not want to reach. _

_ Ha! _

The rushing water was a welcome addition to his ears. Just when Tanaka had been contemplating talking to fill the air around him with something besides his footsteps and breathing. He sat on the bank of the stream, reaching to let his fingers skim the shockingly cold water while filling his bottles. It was good that he was able to come here when he did— it hadn't rained in ages so he hadn't been able to collect water that way for a while. And buying water from compound smugglers was more expensive than he could afford. Eventually, some group might find the stream and take up possession, but that was a problem for later. Something he couldn't be bothered to worry about now. 

After a quick smoke break, a sip from the water bottle, and a piss, Tanaka was off up the stream. As he kicked pebbles into the water, he thought about Noya. It was something he found himself doing a lot lately. When he lived out of a car for weeks, and lived in a quiet compound for months before that, there's not much else to think about. Sure, he could worry about food, and water, and gas, and cigarettes, and all these other things. But at the end of the day, he either had those things or he didn't. The only things he always had were the memory of Noya's cold fingers gripped on his neck that February night and the note he found squashed into his hand the next day with the words "follow me" on it. 

It had been almost a year now, since the Tragedy, the Apocalypse, Armageddon— depending on who he asked, they called it all sorts of things. No one could for sure answer what it was that caused it, but the old society collapsed and with it came a new, frightening world. And only a mere three weeks ago had Tanaka snuck off his compound into yet another world, leagues off from the strict, quiet life on his compound. He had heard of other compounds where the community was lighter and friendly, rebuilding with compassion and hope. Maybe later, if the ghost hunt finished with nothing to show for it, he'd find one of those compounds.

_ Follow me. _

Those words echoed endlessly in his mind. They pulled him back from so many ledges, a command he thought when he first woke and before falling asleep. While he had planned and prepared his escape, they kept him a sort of lonely company. 

This was the only way he could have possibly interpreted them. It was the only logical meaning, right?

Right?

He met the boulder and headed right. It wasn't long now until he would see the cabin. Hopefully. It had been over two years since he'd been there, so he wasn't even sure if he remembered the way. Then again, if he didn't know the way there he wouldn't know the way back either. He could only go forward. 

_ When are we gonna get there? _

_ Quit dragging your feet. It's not that far. _

_ You've said that at least three times.  _

_ Because it's true. Every step we're getting closer.  _

_ I hope you can feel that I'm rolling my eyes behind you.  _

_ Whatever. Drama queen. _

Between the silhouettes of the pines, there sat a hulking shape of a building. Tanaka's heart leapt. He remembered the way. He felt his feet start running, arms reached out to grasp the splintered front gate. He paused, panting, and looked around. The area looked just as it always had; a tipped over chair that had broken a long time ago lay under the eves and an axe leaned on the side of the house next to a chopping block. No signs of human activity though.

Swallowing hard, Tanaka walked up to the door and knocked three times. Pause. Another three knocks. It was how they always knocked. No response from the inside. 

_ There's a key in the gutter, in case you ever need it. _

_ I doubt I'm ever gonna come here again, Noya. _

_ Quit being so negative. You haven't even given it a chance. I bet you'll change your tune when you eat something.  _

_ Hmph. _

The key, which was magnetized on the inside of the gutter, was still there. And a quick inspection showed none of the windows were busted open. Still, while he unlocked the door with his left hand, he held his pistol in his right. 

He swung the door open, whipping the gun around the room. The curtains were pulled back, letting moonlight pool on the floor and illuminate the room. Seeing no one but still on edge, Tanaka kicked the door shut behind him and walked across the room to the bathroom. He paused at the door, listening for anything besides his breathing. Hearing nothing, he pushed the door open forcefully. Nothing. Satisfied that he was alone in the small cabin, he dropped his arm and crossed back to lock the door behind him. 

Glancing around inside, it did look like someone had been there at some point, though hard to tell exactly when. The shelves were almost empty, save for a few unlabeled cans that looked slightly puffed up, and the blankets that were normally kept in the cedar chest were gone. The tools they kept for cooking and other household repairs were gone too, nothing but empty drawers pulled out left behind. The jar of coins under the window was untouched, indicating that whoever had swept through came through after money was deemed worthless. So probably any time in the past ten months. 

Sighing, he sat at the table in the moonlight and pulled out his cigarettes. He normally didn't smoke more than two or three a day, but the night had him on edge. Still, there were only so many boxes he had. Lighting it with trembling fingers, he inhaled too quickly and coughed.

_ Well, here it is! Your new home base for the next week! _

_ Ugh, too hungry. Can we have lunch? _

_ Ungrateful. _

_ Nope, just starving.  _

He checked his watch. Just past 4. Enough time to sleep before the sun rose and he had to get a move on. If Noya wasn't here, he couldn't be either. He had to keep going, try to find any trace of him. He had to follow him. Follow. 

Finishing the cigarette and snubbing it on the table, he stood and stretched. He supposed he could light a fire, but the fear of someone seeing the smoke and finding him alone and asleep was too great to risk it in his current state. Still, he rolled out his sleeping roll in front of the empty fireplace and laid down.

_ Tanaka… _

_ Hmm? _

_ I hope this was worth it. The hiking, the mice— _

_ Noya, you're always worth it. I mean! This has been worth it. I've had an awesome time being a nature guy. _

_ Oh, good! Wanna come back next year?  _

_ Absolutely. Maybe not in March though. It's a little too cold for sleeping.  _

_ Agreed. Maybe in the summer?  _

_ Totally! _

_ Also, hey, this is kinda stupid… you know what, never mind. _

_ No, what's up? _

_ It's really stupid.  _

_ Noya, shut up and tell me. _

_ How's that supposed to work?  _

_ You know what I mean.  _

_ Okay, fine. I was just gonna ask what you wanted for breakfast. _

_ Why would you ask me that right now? Haha! _

_ Told you it was stupid.  _

Tanaka wished Noya hadn't lied that night. And he wished he was here right now. Tanaka screwed his eyes shut. He was sure,  _ so sure _ , that Noya was going to be here. Was he too late or had he never been here at all?

Where else was he supposed to follow him now?

The night of the Tragedy, Tanaka had kissed him. They were listening to the radio in Tanaka's tiny apartment, listening to the hum of voices narrating their impending doom with fear tinged proclamations. Tanaka had grabbed Noya's hair just as the reporter's voice cut out and was replaced with static. Noya gripped the back of his neck, kissing him hard before tearing away and saying he had to go find his brother. He said they would be back later, and brushed aside Tanaka’s offer to come with him.

_ We need to have a home base to come back to, Tanaka. _

Tanaka waited as long as he could, slowly realizing there was nothing for him to do but cry and sleep.

The next morning, he found the note stuffed in his hand. But the compound walls had shut and he was trapped inside. With no Noya.

At last, Tanaka fell into a deep but troubled sleep. He kept dreaming of waking up in a million different places, calling out for Noya, and falling asleep again. 

_ Click. _

Tanaka woke up with a boot on his shoulder. His eyes sprung open, and upon seeing a gun barrel above him, reached for his own gun. The boot on his shoulder pushed in deeper, forcing his arm back. A breathless, blinking moment passed. And the gun pulled back from him and the boot stumbled off of him.

"Ryuu?"

Tanaka squinted in the bright morning light that streamed in through the window and tried to make out the figure in front of him. "Noya…?"

The figure fiddled with their gun, popping the safety back on, before shoving it into his back pocket. "You got my note."

Tanaka chuckled, trying to keep tears from springing up into his eyes. "And here I am."

Noya smiled, and with a choked back sob, flung himself at Tanaka. The two embraced fiercely, their bodies holding each other as if they were made for it. "I was scared I missed you," Tanaka whispered. Noya laughed, and pulled back. 

"You almost did. Yesterday afternoon we left."

"We?"

"Me and my dog. I left him outside when I saw the gate was open."

Tanaka sighed. "I thought I was so sneaky too, damn."

Noya shrugged. "I rigged it so it has sort of a false latch. You really gotta slam it to make it stick for good. Otherwise a little breeze will open it back up. It's a good indicator for intruders."

"What about your brother? Where is he?"

"Stayed on a compound. His girlfriend was pregnant so he didn't feel like he could leave. No doctors in the wilderness."

Tanaka still had so many questions, but there was only so much he could ask at once. "Why'd you come back?" He decided. 

Noya shrugged. "Something didn't feel right. And when I saw a car parked at the end of the road I knew something was up. I didn't know it was your car, of course. I broke into it and took the extra clothes in the back, by the way."

"Poor dog. Having to walk all the way back."

Noya huffed. "Hey, I got us another bruiser. And someone who can carry more food."

Tanaka smiled. "So where were you headed? A compound?"

Noya scowled and shook his head. "We were just going into an old town for a week. Replenish the supplies of some stuff we can't find in the woods. Look for other survivors. Then, after that, we might have come back. But still. Might not have."

Tanaka nodded. "You wanna head there today then?" 

Noya grunted in assentment.

Tanaka stood up and started to roll up his mat.

"I'll just be a few seconds," he mumbled, reaching for the cord to tie it. Noya placed a hand on his, stilling his fingers. 

Tanaka turned to face him and met his eyes. They were warm and welcoming but still had that same challenging spark they had always held. "Slow down. I don't wanna kiss you in front of my dog for the first time in ten months."

Tanaka's face must have looked funny, because Noya pulled his hand back like he'd been burned. "Unless you're not interested in that. Which is totally cool and rad. And no problem at all." 

Tanaka snorted. "Shut up. Kiss me already, you ass."

And so he did. And Tanaka kissed him right back.

"I'm so glad you followed me." 

"I'm ready to follow you."

**Author's Note:**

> I missed Haikyuu. Have this.
> 
> \- title and a few lines and main inspo for the fic come from Frozen Pines by Lord Huron. I cried listening to it last night.  
> \- is the fandom dead? I can't tell tbh. I haven't been keeping up with it very well.  
> -I love them
> 
> tumblr: goodgollywrites


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